CALGARY – Fresh off leading his team to a Vanier Cup appearance, University of Calgary Dinos pivot Andrew Buckley earned another piece of hardware for his trophy case.
Buckley, a third-year kinesiology student, is the quarterback on the Capital One College Division Academic All-America® football team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The team is made of up student-athletes from CIS, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and two-year junior colleges in the United States.
The honour follows Buckley’s selection as the recipient of the CIS Russ Jackson Award, which he received prior to the Vanier Cup in Quebec City.
On the field, the graduate of Calgary’s Rundle College took over as the team’s starting quarterback late in the season opener after standout Eric Dzwilewski broke his foot and the Dinos barely skipped a beat with Buckley at the controls, cruising to their first-ever 8-0 record. The 6-foot, 193-pound pivot went on to pass for 2,184 yards and 12 touchdowns in eight contests and also added four rushing majors en route to a selection as a conference all-star.
In the national championship game, Buckley was the Dinos’ leading rusher with 82 yards on eight carries while completing 19 of 29 passes for 247 yards and a touchdown as the Dinos fell 25-14 to the Laval Rouge et Or. A week earlier in the Mitchell Bowl against No. 1 Western, Buckley threw for 211 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the Dinos shocked the top-ranked Mustangs 44-3 to advance to the Vanier Cup.
In the classroom, Buckley is a two-time Academic All-Canadian with a career grade point average of 3.93 in kinesiology and has plans to follow in his father’s footsteps and enter medical school following his undergraduate work. He has received numerous academic awards since he arrived on the U of C campus, including a University of Calgary President’s Admission Scholarship and Undergraduate Merit Award. He is actively involved in many research projects, most recently making a presentation as part of the Faculty of Kinesiology’s Markin Undergraduate Student Research Program in October 2013 – right in the middle of football season.
Buckley is also heavily involved in the community. In 2011, he joined a group that travelled to Guatemala to build 500 efficient wood-burning stoves for impoverished families with the Hearts and Hands Foundation. The following year, he led the organization of a Dinos football camp for underprivileged and foster children of Sudanese decent in the Calgary area. He also remains actively involved volunteering for various senior citizens’ organizations, and is a home care volunteer with Alberta Health Services, working with two Alzheimer’s patients for 90 minutes per week.
“Stepping in for Eric Dzwilewski, Andrew has led the Dinos offence without missing a beat,” said Calgary head coach Blake Nill. “He is a tremendous leader and has had an amazing year given the circumstances. Andrew exemplifies the true meaning of the Russ Jackson Award with his football skills, his academic success, and most impressively, his involvement in the community.”
FIRST TEAM
Pos. Name School Yr. Hometown GPA Major
QB Andrew Buckley Calgary Jr. Calgary, Alberta 3.93 Kinesiology
WR Jon Hilliger Ottawa Sr. Van Nuys, Calif. 3.63 Accounting
WR Matt Powers Lindsey Wilson Sr. Harrogate, Tenn. 3.75 Psychophysiology
TE Andrew Friederich (1) Saint Ambrose Sr. Davenport, Iowa 3.67 Chemistry
RB Jon Halvorson (2) Morningside Jr. Sioux Falls, S.D. 3.79 Business Administration
RB Lamont Wims (1) Robert Morris (Ill.) Jr. Frederick, Md. 3.79 Accounting
OL Laurent Duvernay-Tardif Mcgill Sr. St. Hilaire, Quebec 3.92 Medicine
OL Tyler Ford Peru State Jr. Lincoln, Neb. 3.65 Criminal Justice-Administration
OL Brett Guenther St. Francis (Ind.) Sr. Westfield, Ind. 3.82 Elementary Education
OL Heath Hewitt Mcpherson Sr. Sterling, Kan. 3.92 Biology/Education
OL Joe Vetrovsky Doane Sr. McCook, Neb. 3.74 K-12 Special Education
K Aaron Lorraine (1) Nebraska Wesleyan Sr. Omaha, Neb. 3.82 Business Administration
DB Matt Broeckelman (2) Kansas Wesleyan Sr. Mankato, Kan. 3.90 Pre-Physical Therapy
DB Sederick Dunbar Siena Heights Sr. Ferndale, Mich. 3.76 Criminal Justice
DB Philip Emminger (2) Robert Morris (Ill.) Jr. Canton, Mich. 3.91 Accounting
DB Seth Wardyn (1) Nebraska Wesleyan Jr. Grand Island, Neb. 3.81 Biology
LB Brock Bullock Apprentice School Sr. Fredericksburg, Va. 3.90 Electrician
LB Zach Dolph Saint Xavier Sr. Crest Hill, Ill. 3.63 Finance/Mathematics
LB Brady Harwell Kansas Wesleyan Sr. Vega, Texas 3.50 Athletic Training/Pre-Physical Therapy
DL Michele Canali Menlo Sr. Parma, Italy 3.87 Business Management
DL Matt Carden (2) St. Francis (In) Sr. Wakarusa, Ind. 3.89 Secondary Education/Math
DL Greg Hayward (2) Saint Xavier Jr. Oak Lawn, Ill. 3.80 Criminal Justice/Sociology
DL Nicholas Norton Webber International Sr. Holt, Mich. 4.00 Finance & Traditional MBA
P Jordan Sitzmann Morningside Sr. Le Mars, Iowa 3.79 Business Administration
Academic All-American of the Year: Lamont Wims, Robert Morris (Ill.)
(1) Capital One Academic All-America® College Division 1st team in 2012
(2) Capital One Academic All-America® College Division 2nd team in 2012
PHOTO CREDIT: YAN DOUBLET
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